TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR):

1. About Plan International

Plan International began working in Bangladesh in 1994. At Plan International Bangladesh, we encourage children and young people to be leaders in their communities and drive progress on the issues that matter to them. We also integrate gender equality and inclusion across all areas of our work.
The vision of Plan International’s 2020-2030 country strategy is to empower girls and young women to be heard, to live without fear of violence, and to achieve their rights. The strategic priorities are focused on children and youth leadership, girls’ decision making and young women’s control over resources. These priorities will contribute towards achieving the SDG goal of Gender Equality by empowering children and youth leaders as agents of change of gender norms and decision-making.

2. Project Background   

The overall objective of the Our Voices Our Choices: Women and Youth for Democratic Civic Space is to support and empower civil society in protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide. Our Voices Our Choices: Women and Youth for Democratic Space (OVOC) aims to address the needs and constraints of youth and women in all their diversity including Dalits, LGBTIQ+, persons with disabilities and other excluded groups, as they are often overlooked, suppressed and underestimated, and are not taking part in decision making. According to CIVICUS civic space is Repressed in Bangladesh and Thailand and Obstructed in Nepal. The genuine engagement of these often excluded youth/women groups empowers civil society to play a key role in democratic policy implementation at all levels. This, as well as their advocacy and ability to hold duty bearers to account, improves compliance with international human rights policies and law. This action intends to strengthen an enabling environment for youth/women-led civil society participation and engagement in the Asian region. It aims to facilitate CSOs and youth networks as independent actors who hold their governments to account, and to amplify the outcomes they seek in their societies. The proposed action is a partnership between Plan International (Plan) and four Co-applicant CSOs: Article 19, the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO), Phayao Youth News Agency (PYNA), and Thailand Youth Institute (TYI) (collectively with Plan: the OVOC Consortium).
We know that the civic democratic space for civil society is shrinking in many parts of the world . Children and young people are disproportionately affected by this. A non-enabling environment hinders youth led organizations and their initiatives for social change, as they are exposed to risks such as normative resistance, threats and violence. Girls and young women are particularly affected. In order to fully support young people, in all their diversity, and for them to claim their space, global civil society needs to be more inclusive and adaptive. As part of the framework program, recommendations have been developed to guide Plan International to be a more responsible partner to youth organizations. Amongst others, the recommendations outline a need for an enhanced understanding of barriers and risks related to shrinking civic space while effectively supporting children and young people's activism.

3. Project Overview

Plan International in partnership with four Co-applicant CSOs: ARTICLE 19, the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), Phayao Youth News Agency (PYNA), and Thailand Youth Institute (TYI) (collectively with Plan: the OVOC Consortium), successfully secured a grant name Our Voices Our Choices: Women and Youth for Democratic Space (OVOC) from the European Union. The overall objective of the action is: to support and empower civil society in protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide. The project aims to ensure that young people, especially women and girls in target communities in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Thailand (also the broader Asian region), enjoy fundamental human rights and are actively engaged in improving their lives. Young people will play an impactful role through inclusive, effective, pluralistic, and representative civic participation, focusing on inclusive civic space in the community. The project will address the needs and constraints of youth and women in all their diversity, including Dalits, LGBTIQ+, persons with disabilities, and other excluded groups, as they are often overlooked, suppressed, and underestimated and are not taking part in decision-making.
Overall Objective: The overall objectives is to support and empower civil society in protecting and promoting democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms worldwide.

3.1 Project Results

The overall impact of the project is to support and empower civil society in protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide.
Outcome:
SO 1: To enhance civic action through co-creation of a multi-country resource hub that facilitates the enlargement of civic, democratic and civil society space.
SO2: To support and capacitate youth /women-led CSOs to participate as rights holders in national/ regional/ global-level efforts to reclaim and protect civic space and civic engagement.
SO 3: To hold duty bearers, especially policy makers in Asia, accountable to their responsibilities towards protecting civic space.
The project has the below targeted output as below:
Output 1: A safe space is co-created and incubated by and for youth/women-led groups to demand their rights to participation, to hold duty bearers to account and to coordinate and cooperate at national and regional level.
Output 2: Civic society, especially women/youth-led groups, exercises active citizenship and links with grassroots, national and regional networks
Output 3: Duty bearers initiate actions regarding opened civic space and advancing fundamental human rights.

Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be downloaded from this link.

Submission proposals:

The technical and financial proposals should be submitted electronically to the email address planbd.consultant.hiring@plan-international.org. with the title “Proposal for hiring a consultant for Engaging duty bearers for protecting Civic Space under OVOC Project” as subject line. Proposal submitted to any other email account or address except this will be treated as disqualified. Two different folders i.e. technical and financial should be submitted into one zip.

Submissions after the deadline of 24 February 2024 at 4:00 pm will be treated as disqualified.

Women-owned businesses and companies actively engaged or advancing gender equality and women empowerment in the workplace are especially encouraged to apply.  

Two different folders i.e. technical and financial should be submitted into one zip folder with a covering letter addressing to Md. Enamul Haque, Supply & Procurement Specialist, Plan International Bangladesh.